Boot tree



Jan. 9, 1934. P. J. MUENCHEN BOOT TREE Filed Oct. 27, 1931 I NV ENTOR.

A TTORNE YS.

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES NT QFFECE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a boot or shoe tree, which in its applied position sustains a shoe in proper shape while aiiording unrestricted ventilation of the interior of the shoe, as is a distinct advantage over the types of shoe trees which plug the interior of the shoe, to the end of enabling the shoe to thoroughly air or dry out while the sole of the shoe is sustained in a straightened position by the shoe tree in order to prevent premature cracking of both upper and sole and thus materially prolong the life of the shoe.

Only one form of this invention will be described and the novel features thereof pointed out in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a View showing in side elevation partly broken away, one form of boot tree embodying this invention applied to a shoe.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the boot tree; and

Figure 3 is a transverse seotional'view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and omitting the shoe.

Referring specifically to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several Views, this invention in its present embodiment comprises an elongated member in the form of a strip of resilient or spring metal one end of which is reduced in width and curled upon itself to form an eye 11. Adjacent the eye the member is provided with means for detachably connecting it to the sole portion of a shoe, and in the present instance this means comprises a plate 12 pivotally mounted at 13 on the member and having its side edges bent to pro- 35 vide rearwardly diverging hooks or clips 14 adapted to have hooked engagement with the edges of a shoe sole when the shoe is extended between the clips as shown in Figure 1.

With the shoe thus associated with the clips the member 10 extends longitudinally of the sole exteriorly of the shoe, to a point substantially midway of the shank of the shoe. To the rear end of the member is fixed a sleeve 15 which extends transversely of the member from opposite sides 45 thereof. This sleeve provides a mounting for an abutment member 16 in the form of a yoke the side arms 17 of which are provided at their lower ends with trunnions 18 journaled in the sleeve to pivotally connect the abutment member to the member 10.

The abutment member carries an arm 19 having at its upper end oppositely directed sleeves 20 into which extend trunnions 21 formed on the upper ends of the side arms of the abutment memher to pivotally connect the arm to the latter. The

lower end of the arm 19 is provided with a head 22 in the form of a curved plate 23 the forward and rear edges of which are bent laterally as indicated at 24 to co-act in clamping a block of resilient rubber 25 or other suitable soft material to the plate. 0

To apply the boot tree to a shoe or other article of footwear, the arm 19 is swung forwardly of the abutment member a sufficient amount for the shoe to be passed through the latter and the toe portion of its sole engaged with the clips 14, in 5 which position the member 10 will incline in a direction rearwardly from the bottom of the .shoe sole. The abutment member is now grasped and a pull exerted thereupon to draw the rear end of the member 10 toward the sole after which the arm is swung from the position shown in broken lines in Figure 1 to the position shown in full lines in this figure wherein the head 22 rests against the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof. As the member 10 is drawn into engagement with the shoe sole, the clips 14 will co-act with the member under the stress imposed on the latter, to straighten the sole and stretch the upper of the shoe so as to remove cracks therefrom, the abutment member and so arm 19 co-acting to maintain the member 10 in this stressed position so that the member 10 will constantly function as a result of its tendency to return to normal position shown in broken lines in Figure 1, to maintain the sole in 5 a straightened condition. The boot tree is readily removed from the shoe by reversing the above described operation, and it will be noted that the side arms 17 of the abutment member are constructed of spring wire and are bent intermediate their ends to form zigzag portions 26 to render the member resilient longitudinally so as to compensate for and accommodate soles of various thicknesses, the side arms yielding in the event that the contour of the shoe shank is such as to draw the rear end of the member 10 tightly against the shank without suflicient space remaining for the arm to be swung into engagement with the shank interiorly of the shoe.

The pivotal mounting of the plate 12 on the member 10 permits the plate to automatically adjust on the plate to accommodate soles of different contours; and it will be manifest that by the provision of the eye 11, the tree with a shoe applied thereto, can readily be suspended from a hook or other support.

Although only one form of this invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A boot tree comprising a resilient member having means at one end attachable to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends longitudinally of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion thereof, an abutment member connected to the opposite end of the resilient member and extending laterally therefrom; and means connected to the abutment member and engageable with the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof to place the resilient member under stress by drawing the resilient member towards the sole for coaction of the resilient member with the first means in straightening the sole and holding the latter in a straightened position.

2. A boot tree comprising a resilient member having means at one end attachable to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends longitudinally of the shoe substantial- 1y to the shank portion thereof, a yieldable abutment member connected to the opposite end of the resilient member and extending laterally therefrom; and means connected to the abutment member and engageable with the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof to place the resilient member under stress by drawing the resilient member towards the sole for co-action of the resilient member with the first means in straightening the sole and holding the latter in a straightened position.

3. A boot tree comprising a resilient member having means at one end attachable to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends longitudinally of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion thereof, an abutment member connected to the opposite end of the resilient member and extending laterally therefrom; and an arm con nected to the abutment member and having a head engageable with the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof to place the resilient member under stress by drawing the resilient member towards the sole for co-act-ion of the resilient member with the first means in straightening the sole and holding the latter in a straightened position.

4. A boot tree comprising: a resilient member having means connectible to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends along the length of the sole exteriorly of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; and means correlated with the member and engageable with the shoe in such manner as to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole for co-action of the member with the first means in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

5. A boot tree comprising: a resilient member having means connectible to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends along the length of the sole exteriorly of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; a yoke connected to the member and adapted to receive the shoe; and an arm carried by the yoke and engageable with the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole into the shank portion of the shoe for co-action of the member with the first means in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

6. A boot tree comprising: a resilient member having means connectible to the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends along the length of the sole exteriorly of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; a yoke pivotally connected to the member and adapted to receive the shoe; and an arm pivoted on the yoke and engageable with the shank portion of the shoe interiorly thereof to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole into the shank portion of the shoe for co-action of the member with the first means in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

7. A boot tree comprising: a resilient member having clips adapted to receive the edge portion of a shoe sole while the member extends along the length of the sole exteriorly of the shoe and terminates substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; and means correlated with the member and so engageable with the shoe as to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole into the shank portion of the shoe for co-action of the member with the clips in straightening and holding the shoe in a straightened position.

8. A boot tree comprising: a resilient member; a plate pivoted on the member and having clips adapted to receive the edge portion of a shoe sole while the member extends along the length of the sole exteriorly of the shoe; and means correlated with the member and so engageable with the shoe as to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole for coaction of the member with the clips in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

9. A boot tree comprising: an elongated resilient member; a plate pivoted on the member and having sole engaging clips; a yoke carried by the member and projecting laterally therefrom; and a shank engaging arm carried by the yoke.

10. A boot tree comprising: an elongated member'having sole engaging clips; a longitudinally resilient yoke carried by the member to project laterally therefrom; and a shank engaging arm carried by the yoke.

11. A boot tree comprising an elongated member having means attachable to a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends along the length of the shoe sole exteriorly of the shoe, with the other end of the member terminating substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; and means correlated with the member and engageable with the shoe in a manner to place the member under stress by drawing the member towards the sole for coaction of the member with the first means in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

12. A boot tree comprising an elongated member having means attachable to a shoe at the toe portion thereof while the member extends along thelength of the shoe sole exteriorly of the shoe, with the other end of the member terminating substantially at the shank portion of the shoe; a second member operatively associated with said other end of the first member; the second member having means engageable with the shoe interiorly thereof to place the first member under stress by drawing the first member towards the sole for coaction of the first member with the first means in straightening and holding the sole in a straightened position.

PETER J. MUENCHIEN. 

